Hey all! I'm pretty new on this forum but completely hooked... with all the inspiration and motivation i need to lead a more balanced and stable life. It is that inspiration that is fueling me to become a full time barefooter (mind you, I do live in the Canadian Rockies [BC] and will have to wear some sort of footwear outside until it warms up) For my New Years Resolution. As of January 1st, 2008, I will be a barefooter. Now, do you guys have any advice for me in preparation? Should I buy a bunch of lotion? (I already am barefoot around the house, the second I get inside those nasty shoes and socks come off!) I have about a week before I officially start, so should I be doing any training? Or just go right at it whenever I feel like? Thanks in advance guys and gals! Future.
I wouldn't even wait the week! But then, as you say, you may be waiting till whenever spring opens things up for you too. I'd get used to stepping outside, however briefly, like when going back to the car or mailbox or some such thing. If no seriously deep snow, see what you can do in your yard. I also wear (even in extreme cold) footwear that's easily kicked off for bf driving. Some of the getting used to it is in the mind, and some is at the sole. At this time of year you need to start making it seem normal to you to be bf in newer places than before.
Try to get used to walking on the front of your feet, this will eliminate ground strike and protect your joints (especially knee joints). This is called "fox walking". If you go to youtube and enter "fox walking" you will see it in action! Welcome to a very select little club!
I have been barefoot before, I went a whole weekend at a conference without shoes, and it was painful at times, but most of the time it was amazing.
My resolution is to be barefoot 90-100% of the time indoors (already accomplished since forever), and when the temperature is 60 degrees or higher outdoors to go barefoot (unless the pavement is searing hot. Even then, though, I probably wouldn't want to go outside in the first place. Maybe I can convince my parents to let me go to the park barefoot, though...)
This is pretty much what I'm looking at as well. I'm in Canada so I don't know how hot 60 degrees is... I'm guessing around 20 C? anyways my start up outdoor (like permanent, not just to run out the trash or something) will be probably 15.
Time of the year when we all make thousands of resolutions. What one forgets is that the future is now. A resolution is like putting something off until tomorrow. What must be done now should be done post haste. Whatever should be done tomorrow will never be done.
I'm doing pretty much all I can "today"; the average high for this time of the year is about 20 degrees. Brrrr... I only wear socks or shoes indoors at home -on average- about 3 minutes a day. School = no way in hell I'm wearing sandals, and it's against policy to go barefoot. In public? Too cold. When it's 60 -that very day- I will do it.
Hi Everyone, Here are a few of my New Year's resolutions: To be able to walk several minutes barefoot at a time without stubbing my @#%^*&(^%$# toes. I'd like to become comfortable with the idea of taking the train into the city barefoot so I can leave the shoes at home. Yours truly would also like to become comfortable with the concept of entering establishments barefoot and becoming one with surface underneath my feet once there. Last, but not least, I'd like to go barefoot as often as possible! In plain english, once the warm weather comes-Good bye shoes!
Do people that enter restaraunts and such barefooted get asked to leave or anything like that? I am worried that if I decide to go barefoot that I wont be able to do grocery shopping or anything. Are there any barefoot friendly stores in the southeast?
I have been talking to my friends about this recently. There are no laws that state you can't be barefoot in establishments and stuff like that (i'm also in raleigh). But some of my friends are saying that companies have the right to ask you to leave for whatever reason. I don't know. I don't really care. I say just try it and see what happens. I haven't had a chance to try it out yet. I've been going barefoot full time for a couple weeks now, but haven't been into any stores or anything like that since.
In 14 years of full-time barefooting, I've found that establishments that exclude me due to bare feet are the exception rather than the rule. That said, however, there are several mitigating factors which will influence this: Your age Your attitude How you carry yourself (confident or not) Where you look (look at your feet and others will too) How you are dressed otherwise Location (some areas, such as beach fronts are much more forgiving) The type of establishment I've never been excluded from a grocery store anywhere in the world and have been to even the most upscale restaurants barefoot. The only place I've been asked to wear shoes in recent memory is at the museums in Washington and New York. Nonetheless, unless you're in Micronesia, it's not a bad idea to keep a pair of zorries about you just in case...
well there has been much debate in these forums about this; as you are in NC (america) if an establishment asks/tells you to leave, you must, otherwise you'll be tresspassing and they can call the cops.
While this is entirely true, you can bring pressures to bear on business that will influence their policy and attitude. Schedule an appointment with the management and/or owner. Calmly and politiely make it perfectly clear to them that their policies are unacceptable and that you will no longer patronize their establishment and will encourage your associates to do the same. Then, if you are a member of a sporting organization, school group, union, civic organization, business group, or political organization, use your influence to make sure that meetings are not held in said establishment, supplies are not procured from them and that fellow members are encouraged NOT to patronize them. You need not even express your reasons to your collegues, only gently disuade them from patronizing said establishment. Follow up and make sure, however, that it's made plain and clear to the owner and/or managment WHY their business has fallen off. I've successfully used this method to make even large players change their attitudes and policies and have managed to drive some smaller concerns with obdurate management under. Clearly it's not going to have any effect in large cities, but in smaller communities, it can have a profound impact. Never underestimate the power of congenial gental persuasion. You'll be surprised at how much more effective a calm suggestion can be VS a loud protest. Remember, there are NO LAWS anywhere against customers with bare feet. Every business has a choice regarding their policies. "It takes 10 satisfied customers to bring in 1 new one, but only 1 dissatisfied customer to drive 10 away"
As one who lives in the southeast as well (and even lived in Durham, NC a few years ago when I first started barefooting full-time), I can tell you...it's unpredictable. Some places won't bat an eyelash, and some will confront you every time. Then there are those annoying places where you'll go barefoot ten times in a row without trouble, but then the eleventh time they'll come out of nowhere and require you to put on shoes or leave. Just keep trying, I would say, and if one place won't let you, I can promise you there are plenty more that will. FYI: Barnes & Noble is almost universally notorious for never letting in anyone barefoot. Heck, they'll confront you for even slipping off your sandals while sipping coffee at your table! Also, on the flip-side, you can almost always be guaranteed safe refuge being barefoot at locally owned establishments, ma and pa joints, and places like 10,000 Villages.
Barnes and Noble has never bothered me for slipping my flip flops off when I cozy up on one of their chairs to read a book. And I've actually walked into Borders and spent significant time browsing there without shoes. I would be willing to bet that corporate leaves those kinds of decisions up to each store's manager - if you like the chain stores try going to the next one and see if you have better luck. Even in stores that might have a policy about it, it's worth trying because some managers are progressive enough to know what rules to follow to the letter and which ones are somewhat flexible. Or maybe I'm just lucky that I have a constant excuse 9 months of the year: "I'm sorry sir, I stepped in a rain puddle on my way in and now my sandals are sopping wet! You don't want me to catch pneumonia now, do you?"
I've never had a problem at my Barnes and Noble, but then I do live in a small town (85,000) and very large college (43,000 students)
Yeah, B&N has been automatic for me, and in different states. I *will* be confronted if barefoot. Another girl, in New York, also told me how she was rudely told to put her sandals back on when she'd slipped them off at her seat. I think it must be an east coast thing--but then again, I knew another girl in Colorado who used to work at one, and her B&N wouldn't as much as let employees kick their shoes off in the lounge while on break! However, I've never had the slightest problem being barefoot in a Borders, Waldenbooks, or Books-a-Million. Ever. In fact, at one Waldenbooks in the mall, a girl working at the counter actually *complimented* me for being barefoot!
